12345

TRIATHLON (Read 353 times)


CT JEFF

    HI - I have been checking out the forums and looking on other sites. RA has a great group of people and great traffic, so it just makes sense to have these discussions here.

     

    I have been running for the past few years. Not fast yet. 1:51HM, 3 FM completed. Last summer I dusted off the bike for some cross training and started thinking "this isnt hard". So, a few months later I signed up for a SPRINT TRI.

     

    Im still a very new beginner, but I signed up with a TRI group, and have been learning a lot.

     

    One thing I find lacking in other sites is the focus on running. Most training plans focus hours on bike, with few on runs. Id rather a plan based around my love of running. I dont mind sitting on a bike for hours, but..

    RUN SAFE.     Barefoot 1st: 6/9/13. PR: 5k=22:50 10k=47:46 HM 1:51. FM 4:28 Oct 2015 joined RUN 169!

     

      for sprint triathlon, the training doesn't matter.  Most people on a running forum should be able to complete a sprint triathlon with a week of training, and most could compete with a few weeks of training.  Focus on the run if you want.

       

      To follow the 'but' of your post, though, for longer distance triathlon, the hours on the bike is more important than the hours running.

      It takes a well conditioned butt to sit on a bike for 5 1/2 hours on a bike and be ready to run a marathon.

      It takes a special amount of mental focus to get through the race.


      With that being said, the hardest part of a long distance triathlon is the last 6 hours, so running is incredible important.

      Life Goals:

      #1: Do what I can do

      #2: Enjoy life

       

       


      running metalhead

        for sprint triathlon, the training doesn't matter.  Most people on a running forum should be able to complete a sprint triathlon with a week of training, and most could compete with a few weeks of training.  Focus on the run if you want.

         

         

        Really? You swear it? 
        Even for those of us who swim like a poodle? xd

        - Egmond ( 14 januari )            :  1:41:40 (21K)
        - Vondelparkloop ( 20 januari ) :  0:58.1 (10K but did 13.44!!!)
        - Twiskemolenloop ( 4 maart )  :   1:35:19 (3th M45!)

        - Ekiden Zwolle (10K)   ( 25 maart )
        - Rotterdam Marathon ( 8 april )
        - Leiden Marathon Halve ( 27 mei )
        - Marathon Amersfoort ( 10 juni)

        xhristopher


          I think the most important thing you need to know for a sprint tri is how not to drown.

            Yes, if you can swim like a poodle, you'll be ok in a sprint triathlon.  Most people in sprint triathlon aren't good swimmers, and capitalize on the kayaks floating along the route and swim from kayak to kayak to finish the swim.

             

            If you swim like a rock, you might get lucky, but you probably won't want to sign up for a race next weekend Smile

             

            In all seriousness, my experience is that most people kind of know how to swim, but just aren't efficient.  They can survive 20 minutes in water doing what could be done in 5-8 minutes.  After a week of practice, they'd be able to survive the swim, get on a bike, and do well in the run.

            Life Goals:

            #1: Do what I can do

            #2: Enjoy life

             

             

            Slo


              Jeff,

               

              I've always wondered the same thing.

               

              I've done Tri's for nearly 15 years. This has been my experience:

               

              Short Sprint distances...These are red line races. Each event should be close to an all out effort. Training wise, my personal best in these distance came when I focused hard on the run portion. The difference between 20mph or 18mph in a 17 to 24 mile bike leg isn't that great and can be made up with a stellar run and swim. Plus the 2 hour run will provide you with better endurance for the 1 to 1.5 hour race you are going to do. Much more so than a two hour bike ride will ever do.

               

              OLY distance...I still like to focus on the run. The bike leg isn't all that much different in length than a sprint but the swim and run are now longer.

               

              Half Iron and Full Iron...The bike plays a bigger role and the ability to push a large gear for a long period of time is a huge factor. Until just recently though...the full Iron winner always went to the better runner. In the last 5 or so years this has changed.

               

              Everything I have seen training wise where the bike is the focus is on the longer events. Largest reason being that it's easier to recover from a long bike workout allowing you to squeeze more training time in.

               

              What kills me today in the longer distances is the money that is dumped into bikes, the time that is dumped into bikes and it's all wasted as soon as you break into a walk on the marathon portion.

               

              If your not worried about awards then do what suits you.

              xhristopher


                What kills me today in the longer distances is the money that is dumped into bikes, the time that is dumped into bikes and it's all wasted as soon as you break into a walk on the marathon portion.

                 

                Ha! So true.

                 

                Same goes for a half marathon portion.


                Feeling the growl again

                   

                   

                   

                  What kills me today in the longer distances is the money that is dumped into bikes, the time that is dumped into bikes and it's all wasted as soon as you break into a walk on the marathon portion.

                   

                   

                  Very true.  But -- if you want to be competitive -- you can't do that without your bike being on par with the people you are competing with.  This is what kept me out of multi-sport.  If you're giving up a couple mph due to your equipment, that's even more you have to make up with conditioning.

                   

                  I've known two good runners who took up triathlon, one 2:21 marathoner and one ~30:15 10K runner.  The 2:21 guy won the first major Ironman distance race he did, the 30:15 guy finished second to a national class guy.

                  "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                   

                  I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                   

                  xhristopher


                     

                    Very true.  But -- if you want to be competitive -- you can't do that without your bike being on par with the people you are competing with.  This is what kept me out of multi-sport.  If you're giving up a couple mph due to your equipment, that's even more you have to make up with conditioning.

                     

                    But equipment gains trail off significantly at a certain point yet it's easily possible for someone with the means to spend multiples past that point for an extra minute or two over an IM distance. In response to SLO I was thinking about all the $$ dumped into going way past that point.

                       

                      But equipment gains trail off significantly at a certain point yet it's easily possible for someone with the means to spend multiples past that point for an extra minute or two over an IM distance. In response to SLO I was thinking about all the $$ dumped into going way past that point.

                       

                      Yup.

                      A $2,000 tri bike with Shimano 105 components work just as well as a $10,000 tri bike with the best components.

                      I remember passing a lot of bikes with carbon wheels with my stock wheels.

                      Life Goals:

                      #1: Do what I can do

                      #2: Enjoy life

                       

                       


                      Feeling the growl again

                         

                        But equipment gains trail off significantly at a certain point yet it's easily possible for someone with the means to spend multiples past that point for an extra minute or two over an IM distance.

                         

                        Agreed.  And that point is far above the $400 I have "invested" in my 1995ish bike.  Smile  I guess I just like running and being able to feel certain parts of my anatomy too much.

                        "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                         

                        I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                         

                        Slo


                          Here's the thing about equipment...

                           

                          1989 thru 1993 Mark Allen finished 3 world championship Ironmans in under 8:10

                           

                          2007 thru 2012 there have only been 2 who have gone under 8:10.

                           

                          I'm pretty sure 2013 was around an 8:14ish.

                           

                          The first time trial bike specific bike was introduced by Quintana Roo around 1989. Not much has been gained since.

                           

                          1986 I think was the first time the 9 hour mark was broke...Either Scott Tinely or Dave Scott. Not sure which and not sure on the year.

                           

                          Training and lifestyle are the major contributing factors.

                          kk_kittenkat


                            I think the most important thing you need to know for a sprint tri is how not to drown.

                             

                            Lol yes, and do a bit of brick training especially bike/run as the transition from bike to run isn't one the muscles want to do at speed.

                            EpiRunr


                               I remember passing a lot of bikes with carbon wheels with my stock wheels.

                               

                              Doesn't that feel awesome?  Smile   I love passing the guy with the aero-helmet and the disc wheel on my road bike with clip-on aerobars.

                               

                              ...however, I would still love to come home and find a $10k tri-bike and aero-helmet with my name on them, I won't lie.

                              kk_kittenkat


                                I love my bike, it's a carbon frame Trek Madone. I've had it since 2008 and because it was an ex demo bike (travelled around Europe) I got it for half prive £999

                                Bargain and light as a feather Smile

                                12345